FRANKLY speaking, I am having a hard time understanding what is happening in our government now. What are the true facts? What are the malicious political tirades on politicians whom the powers that be are trying to malign?
Character assassinations, false accusations are in the daily news. Vested interests, hidden agenda, soaring ambitions of some politicians are apparent to the citizens. We are in a quandary.
Making news headlines which clearly divides the whole country at present is the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the burial of the ex president and dictator, Ferdinand Marcos to be buried in the “Libingan ng mga Bayani” (LNMB).
National uproars of Filipinos opposing the decision on several legitimate means were left unheard. This resulted in dividing the country into the pro and con groups.
The trouble is that the president, himself, allowed the burial. The con group accused the president of having broken his own goal of “Pagbabago” for all Filipinos. The anti or con groups had petitioned the Supreme Court for a TRO on the burial. SC did not act on this.
The burial happened in a clandestine manner. The casket supposed to be carrying the body of Ferdinand Marcos was given full military honors and buried in a special mausoleum, elegant and large. A film in the Internet showed that it opens into a large.
To counteract the hordes of Filipinos against this burial, the Marcoses brought with them buses loaded with pro Marcos followers who joined the funeral. The LNMB was heavily guarded and no one can enter the place except the Marcos' group. The anti-Marcos burial groups are still up in arms shouting “hukayin ang bangkay ni Marcos” clamor. We have not seen the end of this as of this date.
The next disturbing issue is the relationship of President Duterte with his Vice President Leni Robredo. The president vocally said he prefers Bong Bong Marcos to be his vice president.
The president has instructed his spokesperson to tell Leni Robredo that she is no longer allowed to attend his cabinet meetings. This is expected because the vice president had been against his EJK (extrajudicial killing) issue, her being against the burial of Marcos at LNMB issue and the death penalty issue. All cabinet members are trusted by the president to be loyal, backers of his platform goals and willing to achieve their success. Leni Robredo has also resigned from her post as head of the government housing department.
At present, the vice president is determined to work on her platform goals, that of helping the plight of the poorest of the poor in our country. One good as of December 8 was this - President Duterte announced that no one can steal the vice president’s post of Leni Robredo until the end of her term.
Frankly speaking, I believe in the sincerity of the vice president in performing her role as the duly elected vice president of the Philippines.
She did not cheat in the elections. She is not among the yellow tards who were suspected of manipulating the Smartmatics machines to cheat. Leni Robredo did her own campaigning from north to south of the country not even wearing the yellow color of the liberals. She was cordially welcome by everyone based on her dedicated service to these people as a congresswoman of Albay. She was carrying the legacy of her late husband, Jess Robredo, who died in a plane crash at Masbate.
Before that, it was concluded that the crash was intended to kill him so that he cannot reveal the piles of drug offenders in his DILG office. These piles were stolen after the crash. Leni is a principled lady worthy of respect. She will continue as vice president. No one can steal this from her. She did not cheat during the elections. She was maligned by all paid releases of news that she will marry somebody, that she is pregnant, that she is this or that none of which is true.
I believe in the integrity of this lady. She fed the poor with “lugaw” and was called, demeaningly, “lugaw queen.” She was known to help the people “na nasa laylayan” meaning the very poor. These are all noble and she promises to help the president in all his goals especially for the poor.
President Duterte is on his ongoing programs for his “Pagbabago” goals. He dared all drug addicts and drug lords to stay home or surrender to pledge to be willing to rehabilitate themselves in Nueva Ecija. If they roam the streets armed the military will kill them if they fight with them. I like the Duterte Kichen project. From donations a place is prepared for homeless or street kids where they are fed with breakfast, lunch , and supper with a balanced diet menus. Now even adults can join.
I believe on the president's effort to keep all Filipinos to be sovereign in their own country and not subservient to any conquering people. I am disturbed with his alliances with China, Japan, Malaysia, and lately , Russia where Putin had extended an invitation to visit his country. He should sign bilateral agreements with these countries. Lately with Trump as president of USA, Duterte is willing to be allied with USA, too.
Duterte had no trust in the UN and even Asean but he should realize that no country is an island. Democratic and parliamentary systems of government demand that there must be friendly alliances among nations. Each one must recognize and be friendly with one another to build a world of peace and harmony.
For comments text cp. no. 09202112534. I am having my leave of absence from December 20, 2016 to January 10, 2017. A blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all my readers.
